‘playstation: the official magazine’ Posts

Considering our recent spate of deadlines, the PTOM staff could do with a tropical vacation. But knowing our luck we’d end up on Far Cry 3’s island in the clutches of the game’s ruthless and seriously disturbed villain Vaas. Scratch that—knowing us, we’d probably pass on the trip to paradise and curl up in our game cave playing Ubisoft’s engrossing new open-world adventure. Too much sun is bad for you anyway.

If we were to head out on an expedition, we’d be sure to bring on our shiny new PS Vita. But the real question: What games would we bring? We’ve got answers in our PS Vita reviews feature that breaks down the good, the bad, and the ugly of the portable system’s first wave of games.

We loved Warhawk’s frenetic online battles back in the PS3’s early days, so we’re excited about its spiritual successor Starhawk — this month’s cover star for PlayStation: The Official Magazine. An innovative Build & Battle system that allows players to quickly and intuitively construct fortifications looks to ramp up the multiplayer action, while the all-new campaign fleshes out the universe and introduces us to space cowboy badass Emmett Graves. We can’t wait to jump into a Hawk and take the battle to the stars.

PlayStation’s longest running franchise has already graced PTOM’s cover once (our November 2010 issue), but we just can’t get enough of Sweet Tooth and the rest of the demented Twisted Metal gang. As the February 14th release date of PS3’s next big exclusive nears, we visit developer Eat Sleep Play and get the lowdown on the game’s multiplayer modes. We also managed to walk away with breakdowns on vehicle strengths and weaknesses courtesy of David Jaffe himself, as well as maps and strategy tips for four locations.

The February issue also means its time for our 2011 Game of the Year awards! Time to throw out the review scores and reflect on the year’s greatest gaming experiences away from the pressures of impending deadlines. It’s one last opportunity for the PTOM crew to argue, debate, and pummel each other into submission and agreement. Sure, some of the choices might be predictable, but even we were surprised by some of the winners.

It’s the start of the New Year and time for PTOM’s annual Hugest Games feature! With so many great games in the works, it was difficult to trim our list to a mere 14 titles. But it was even harder choosing the stars from that select company to grace our cover. In the end, we went with Ninja Gaiden 3’s Ryu Hayabusa, Mass Effect 3’s Commander Shepard, and DmC: Devil May Cry’s Dante because they simply looked totally badass together.

We’ve also got new info on Hitman: Absolution, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, and the recently announced Rainbow 6: Patriots. And with PS Vita’s launch on the horizon, check out our hands-on impressions for a number of launch titles. And just for fun, our “Around the World in 96 Games” feature offers lessons in geography and culture based on information culled from PlayStation games. It’s everything you need to know about the world that you couldn’t be bothered to learn in school because you were too busy playing games.

What better way to celebrate the arrival of PlayStation’s most anticipated game of the year than with a blowout review? PTOM’s holiday issue cover feature breaks down the highs (many) and the lows (not many) of UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception. Yes, it’s bigger and better than its predecessor in nearly every expected way, but even we were surprised by what emerged as the game’s defining trait.

The holiday season always means a deluge of games to review, but the quality of titles available this year is unprecedented. Check out our verdicts on Batman: Arkham City, Saints Row: The Third, and Rayman Origins and you may come to same conclusion we have: Our friends and family had better be generous this year ’cause we can’t afford all this gaming goodness.

But if your thoughts run more toward giving than getting (sucker), PTOM’s annual Holiday Gift Guide offers up the best gamer loot..er, presents of the season. The PTOM staff even makes personal appearances in the feature and share their most precious memories of Christmas’ past for your mocking pleasure.

As Ezio Auditore’s trilogy approaches its thrilling conclusion, PTOM’s December issue offers previously unreleased plot details, hands-on impressions of new gameplay elements, and a breakdown on some of the Revelation’s new weaponry. But the most surprising reveal may be the nature of the link between Ezio and Altair. We’re busy sharpening our blades in anticipation for the franchise’s thrilling, bloody finale.

Speaking of sharp, we also examine the most creative minds working on the next wave of PS3 games in our “PlayStation’s Ten Smartest Developers” feature. Who are they? What are the games that built their legacy? And what are they working on next? Every one of our top ten is worthy of their slot, but we had to make some difficult cuts to trim the list. Will you agree with our picks or be outraged at the omissions? We’re certain you’ll let us know.

The mother of all shooters is about to hit and PTOM’s November issue has intel straight from the Call of Duty team on the changes to online multiplayer. We’ve got tips on strategy and tactics from Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer, as well as a sneak peek at two maps. It’s everything you’ll need to dominate in Modern Warfare 3 from day one…unless you’re like us and lack the ability to aim. Thank god for the noob tube…

If modern war doesn’t have enough shooting to satisfy your trigger finger, how about a good ol’-fashioned American crime spree? We’ve got Saints Row: The Third’s Super Genius Man-Cat Professor Genki with an exclusive tour of the violence-ridden city of Steelport. It’s the wackiest spin on the open-world crime game that we’ve seen since….well, never.

Fact: Everyone loves ninjas. They’re officially better than pirates, pizza and, uh…porcupines. We here at PTOM Towers aren’t immune to the considerable charm of the mighty ninja, which is why we have the ultimate stealth assassin, Ninja Gaiden 3’s Ryu Hayabusa, gracing the cover of our August issue.

This isn’t just another chapter in Ryu’s saga. This one, we discovered after journeying to Japan to meet with the team and play the game, is different. This time, we are meant to feel what it’s like to be a deadly assassin, to truly understand what it means to be a cold-blooded killer. Don’t worry, though: This ain’t a new-age Ninja Gaiden who’s all touchy-feely now. It’s still the same hardcore action game we adore. It’s just that every cut Ryu makes is deeper; every action he takes is stronger.